(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of measuring devices, and, more particularly to a tool for maintaining a constant spacing between adjacent members of a structure. The invention is particularly suited for spacing the ends or sides of boards and the like being installed on a structure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
When constructing structures it is sometimes necessary to install boards or decking and the like in a regular spaced apart relationship. This regular spacing may be required in a side-to-side fashion or in an end-to-end fashion. It is near impossible to maintain this relationship between boards accurately by relying on visual inspection of the gaps between boards as they are being installed.
To address this problem, a variety of tools have been devised to be inserted between boards as they are installed to maintain a regular spacing. Typical of these are the decking board spacers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,225 to Phillips and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,117 to Tallman. Another deck spacing tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,142 to Rieck. This tool includes two substantially vertically extending blades that are formed integrally with a pair of substantially horizontally extending stabilizing arms extending from the base of each blade. The opposing blades have different thickness in order to allow for a varying spacing between deck boards as the boards are installed by the user. Although this tool does function adequately for its intended purpose, it does suffer from certain drawbacks. First, when a blade of a desired thickness is inserted between decking boards, that blade is hidden below the stabilizing arms. The blade that is exposed to the user is of a different thickness than the blade that is actually inserted between the boards. Thus, a user may mistakenly position the tool so that the desired thickness is visible under the mistaken belief that the hidden blade is of the same thickness. This misconception has caused boards to be installed with improper spacing. Another disadvantage with this tool is that it is bulky and takes up an inordinate amount of space in a toolbox. Lastly, if one of the vertically extending blades is broken off from the body of the device, then either the device must be thrown away or a second tool must be purchased in order to be able to use more than one spacing dimension.
There is a need then for a spacing tool that is compact and is capable of measuring a plurality of different gaps between adjacent members of a structure. The tool should be resistant to breakage and should be repairable given the rough and tumble environment typically encountered at construction sites.
The present invention relates to a spacing tool for determining the spacing between adjacent members of a structure including a pair of perpendicular planes, said planes intersecting along a line offset from the centerline of each plane, said pair of perpendicular planes including: (i) a first planar member having a first width corresponding to a first desired spacing between adjacent members in a structure; and (ii) a second planar member having a second width corresponding to a second desired spacing between adjacent members in a structure. The second desired spacing is less than the first desired spacing. The spacing tool further includes first and second thickness indicia positioned on the first planar member and on the second planar member respectively. The indicia correspond to the first width and the second width respectively.
The present invention further relates to a kit for assembling a decking board spacing tool capable of creating a plurality of different gaps between adjacent members in a structure including a plurality of interlocking planar members, each of which has a different width, each of said widths corresponding to a desired spacing between adjacent members in a structure and a slot formed in each planar member of the plurality of planar members, each of the slots positioned along a line offset from the centerline of each planar member. Any two of the plurality of the planar members may be interconnected along the slots so as to form a substantially perpendicular relationship therebetween such that when one of the interconnected planar members is positioned between two adjacent members in a structure, at least one surface thereof is visible to a user.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.